KU senior Ashley Flink, Manhattan, makes a call while walking home in a freezing rain. The sleet and rain had arrived by noon on Friday, and the National Weather Service was calling for a winter storm warning with a chance of 5-6 inches of snow in the Lawrence area.

Snow started falling early this morning in Liberal, reducing visibility.

John Schippers prepares to check oil tank batteries south of Hays as a strong winds drive snow creating blizzard conditions and reducing the visibility to less than one-quarter mile in parts of Kansas on Friday.

10:15 p.m.: Lawrence, Manhattan and Topeka are still waiting for the rain to turn to snow, according to 6News meteorologist Craig Gold. We’re currently seeing conditions flopping between sleet and rain across east and central Kansas.

The snow will probably arrive at about 5 or 6 a.m. Saturday, Gold said. Temperatures in the mid-30s are discouraging snow from forming. Winds could hit 35 miles per hour tomorrow – just three miles an hour short of what would be considered blizzard conditions.

9:25 p.m.: The winter weather watch is slated to start at 1 a.m. Saturday, but an ice/rain mix is already falling in downtown Lawrence. With temperatures at 35 degrees, the streets are not icing over.

The rain and sleet should change to snow as the night progresses.

7:35 p.m. The storm has moved in though precipitation is falling as rain across most of Lawrence.

The National Weather Service in Topeka is predicting three to six inches of snow for Lawrence, while the weather service in Kansas City is predicting six to eight inches, and more than eight inches just a bit further south.

Precipitation is expected to turn from rain to snow during the overnight hours.

5:01 p.m. Worried about your plants?

The snow shouldn’t pose a problem — and may actually help — but frigid temperatures could be a problem. An extension agent said temperatures below 25 degrees could damage blooming plants — much like happened two years ago.

The snow, however, could actually protect the plants down to 25 degrees or lower.

4:41 p.m. Though it’s been a fairly quiet day in Lawrence and across Douglas County, the blizzard raging in Southwest Kansas claimed its first victim in Kansas.

The first storm-related fatality was reported in Marion County, state emergency management officials said.

One person died in a weather-related crash Friday afternoon. Two others were injured.

Several wrecks and slide offs have been reported in western and central Kansas.

3:23 p.m. All highways in seven southwest Kansas counties have been closed because high winds are causing drifting snow and near-zero visibility, the Kansas Department of Transportation said.

Snowplows have been pulled off the roads in some areas because of dangerous, whiteout conditions, KDOT said.

2:58 p.m.The Associated Press is reporting 12″ of snow — and drifts of up to four feet — in portions of far western Kansas.

Other, more southern areas, including Arkansas City, are seeing a quarter of an inch of ice accumulating before the snow even arrives.

So far, precipitation in Lawrence has been mostly spotty and a mix of rain and sleet.

1:49 p.m. The National Weather Service has moved the winter storm warning back to 1 a.m. Saturday until 7 p.m. Saturday.

In addition to a mix of ice, sleet and snow expected during the afternoon and evening Friday, the weather service is predicting 6 to 8″ of snow or more across the area. Gusts of wind on Saturday may significantly reduce visibility across the area.

1:39 p.m.Roads are being closed all over the state, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.

So far, the closures are nowhere near Lawrence, but KDOT reports that the Kansas Turnpike between west Lawrence and Bonner Springs is mostly covered with ice.

1:28 p.m.6News meteorologist Alex Harrington is revising estimates for snowfall and timing.

He says Lawrence should see 5 to 10″ of snow — with the snowfall starting in late evening and going through the overnight hours.

More snow, as well as significant accumulations of ice, are expected south and east and Lawrence, especially along I-35.

1:25 p.m. People seeking information about highway closings in Kansas could experience problems getting the information, the Kansas Department of Transportation said in a Twitter message.

The message indicates people calling 511 could get a busy signal, due to high demand.

KDOT said it’s because of a switching overload at the phone company.

Online road closing information is also loading slowly, KDOT said.

12:48 p.m.The Associated Press is reporting highway closings across a wide swath of Kansas as a snow storm moves through the state.

Heavy snow and 40-mile-an-hour winds created dangerous driving conditions as the storm moved through the Dodge City area. The National Weather Service in Wichita reported ice was building up on trees, power lines and roads in southeast Kansas Friday morning.

12:36 p.m. The Kansas Adjutant General’s office has activated the State Emergency Operations Center because of heavy snow and blizzard conditions in southern and western Kansas.

“We urge Kansans to avoid traveling today and tomorrow in areas impacted by the storm,” State Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting said in a statement. “Road conditions can deteriorate quickly forcing closures and requiring travelers to find shelter. If you must travel, a full tank of gas and an emergency kit with food, water, medicine and blankets is critical.”

The Adjutant General’s office is also helping Kansans stay up-to-date on their activities in the storm via Twitter, @KansasEmergency.

11:47 a.m. We’ve received reports of rain and sleet freezing to people’s windows in Lawrence.

Take photos and send them in via our Web site, or via Twitter @LJWorld.

11:11 a.m. Mark Thiel, the city’s assistant public works director, said sleet has been reported in Lawrence, but road sensors indicated that all road temperatures in Lawrence are above 34 degrees.

“They get colder as you move west,” Thiel said.

While the temperatures are above freezing now, he expected that to change as the day moves on.

The city plans to issue a news release with important weather information after 2 p.m. today, Thiel said.

11:02 a.m. The Kansas Department of Transportation reports ice accumulating on the Kansas Turnpike between Lawrence and Bonner Springs as well as Lawrence and Topeka.

10:54 a.m. Friday City of Lawrence crews has been preparing their snow removal trucks all morning, said Tom Orzulak, street division manager.

“We’re planning for 10 inches of snow,” he said.

Area grocery stores say they’ve been particularly busy ahead of the expected snow, with a noticeable increase in customers both yesterday and today.

10:36 a.m. Friday A line of precipitation just moved through downtown as sleet, leaving uncovered surfaces a little bit slick.

10:22 a.m. Friday 6News Meteorologist Alex Harrington says the heavy snow bands looks to have moved toward Topeka a little bit, with Topeka being the line between a dusting and 8″ of snow.

Harrington says Lawrence is looking at 6-10″ of snow — but not starting until after midnight.

8:42 a.m. Friday The Kansas Department of Transportation reports that it will be unable to pretreat roads because rain in the forecast would wash it all away. Crews are on standby, however, to begin treating and plowing as snow falls.

8:31 a.m. Friday The National Weather Service has upgraded Lawrence to a winter storm warning, effective from 7 p.m. tonight until 7 p.m. Saturday.

Lawrence is the terminating point for a band of heavy snow that could produce 8″ of snow, with locally higher amounts, according to the National Weather Service. According to the latest snowfall predictions from the Weather Service, areas as close as Topeka could see only 2-4″, so any variation in the heavy snow band could result in Lawrence seeing much less snow.

The precipitation is expected to start as rain this evening before turning to sleet and then snow during the overnight hours.

5:36 a.m. Friday:

Lawrence made it through the night without any snowfall or winter weather, but it’s an unseasonably cold 33 degrees. Temperatures plummeted from 42 degrees at midnight and aren’t expected to top 40 until Sunday at the earliest.

4:01 a.m. Friday:

The temperature has leveled out at 36 degrees, and light rain is falling in Lawrence. The radar suggests the morning’s most consistent precipitation has passed, but the area is still under a “Winter Storm Watch” through Saturday.

2:44 a.m. Friday:

The temperature keeps dropping, but the drizzle has died. It’s 37 degrees in Lawrence, with overcast skies. According to The Kansas Department of Transportation, the Kansas Turnpike between Topeka and Lawrence is still wet.

1:25 a.m. Friday:

The temperature in Lawrence has dipped to 39 degrees, and steady light rain is still falling. Temperatures aren’t low enough to ice roads over: The Kansas Department of Transportation is still reporting Kansas Turnpike conditions as wet.

12:27 a.m. Friday:

Lawrence is experiencing steady light rain. The temperature is 41 degrees and roads are wet in downtown Lawrence.

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, conditions on the Kansas Turnpike between Topeka and Lawrence are wet.